Nation's top-ranked baseball team forfeits 22 games for using ineligible players

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Mavericks were MaxPreps.com's preseason No. 1 team.

The nation's No. 1 baseball team, according to the final MaxPreps media composite rankings, will forfeit 22 regular season victories and be fined nearly $16,000 for using ineligible players.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, the Florida High School Athletic Association ruled that three Archbishop McCarthy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) players received illegal benefits, including housing and tuition assistance.

The ruling doesn't affect McCarthy winning its third consecutive Class 6A state title because none of the players participated in the playoffs, FHSAA spokesman Kyle Niblett told the newspaper.

The Mavericks, who finished 29-2 and have won seven state crowns over eight seasons, are also placed on probation. The three players in question will be ineligible through January.

Former Major League pitcher Alex Fernandez, McCarthy's Director of Baseball Operations, told the newspaper it would not appeal the decision.

The Mavericks finished No. 2 in the MaxPreps final national Top 50. The program's record on the field over the last eight seasons is 219-29.

"We respect the decision the FHSAA made," McCarthy coach Rich Bielski told the Sun-Sentinel. "We've always worked very hard to make sure we comply with all the rules. I'm excited about another successful year of Maverick baseball with a state championship. We're proud of our accomplishments."